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Pennsylvania payrolls grew in December amid labor shortage

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's payrolls grew again in December as the unemployment rate fell for the 10th straight month, according to new figures Friday, but a persistent worker shortage continued to keep labor markets tight. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 5.4% from November's rate, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry. The national rate was 3.9% in December. The gap between Pennsylvania's unemployment rate and the national rate is among the widest it has been in decades. In a survey of households, the ...

Increases seen in outdoor recreation a ‘pleasant problem’

Mass shutdowns in 2020 brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed people outside. Camping skyrocketed. Outdoor recreation entities reported banner years. Was 2020 a blip on that radar or part of a new trend? Even with 2021 in the books, it may be too soon to tell. “The general ...

County sees back-to-back days of more than 70 COVID cases

Warren County closed out the week with consecutive days of over 70 new cases of COVID-19, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The latest data show 72 new cases reported Friday, 76 Thursday, 19 Wednesday, and 69 Tuesday. In December 2020, the department reported consecutive days of 70, 59, 80, and 72 new cases. Earlier this month, the department reported a three-day string of 82, 27, and 75. There have been 6,164 total cases in the county so far, with 4,690 of those listed as confirmed. One death was added to the county’s report on Thursday and another on Friday, ...

Nursing homes to receive COVID help from state

The COVID situation at local nursing homes is drastically better than it was in late 2020, and the state is taking steps to keep it that way. “In 2021, the Rouse Home only had one instance of a COVID-19 outbreak that required use of our isolation unit,” Director of Marketing Kelsey Angove said. “We continue to see small numbers of positives among our staff, but we have been able to keep these numbers low with our infection control processes and procedures.” “At this time, we can report zero cases among residents and caregivers at Kinzua Healthcare & Rehabilitation,” ...

Health official urge vaccination for pregnant women

Local and regional health officials are urging pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Allegheny Health Network’s Women’s Institute cites a new study published this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that “COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is ...

Commissioner agrees to back COVID testing options

The Warren County Commissioners are exploring ways to educate the public on COVID-19 testing options available in the community. The issue was discussed during Tuesday’s work session. Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said he has been talking to Public Safety Director Ken McCorrison and that the increases in case counts have resulted in Warren General Hospital’s walk-in clinic and other testing locations being “slammed.” He told the rest of the board that Gaughn’s Drug Store and Darling’s Pharmacy have testing options. Eggleston’s first option to lessen the strain on the ...